Raiders Eye QB at No. 2 as Experts Warn 2026 Class Is Thin Beyond Mendoza

Overview

• Las Vegas sits at No. 2 in the real-time 2026 draft order at 2-12 and could still finish with the top pick, putting the team in range for Indiana’s Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza.
• Coverage links the Raiders to selecting a quarterback, most often Mendoza or Oregon’s Dante Moore, with the push intensified by Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett not projecting as long-term solutions.
• Todd McShay advised that after Mendoza the 2026 quarterback class looks limited, with Dante Moore and Ty Simpson labeled inexperienced, and he suggested some teams may benefit from waiting for a stronger 2027 group.
• If Las Vegas drafts a rookie passer, analysts stress the franchise must secure a top-tier offensive coordinator as Pete Carroll’s staff changes have not produced results and his status is uncertain, with GM John Spytek expected to weigh heavily on the hire.
• The team’s struggling offensive line is flagged as a major barrier to a rookie’s success, with limited early draft capital likely forcing free-agent adds, later-round picks, or internal options such as Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant.